Dance On The Edge offers free Latin dance classes to Sacramento
Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue and Bachata are all popular Latin dance styles, and for a group of Sacramento residents, this is part of their culture.
The organization Dance On The Edge invites everyone to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through free dance events that it hosts across the Sacramento region.
They offer a complimentary dance lesson in the first hour of every event. This is great for beginner dancers or for anyone interested in brushing up on their technique. Executive Director Cody Smith said the nonprofit has been hosting these dance events for nearly 10 years.
"Being of Hispanic heritage, we're just one big melting pot, where we have a lot of indigenous roots, of migration, of cultural exchange," Smith said.
Those roots are showcased through the art of dance. The organization invited KCRA 3 to one of its events held at the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
The event drew in a big crowd and had food and art vendors as people came to check out the event.
"Dance Itself is a universal language. And so it's a, it's a core part of Afro-Latin and Hispanic culture, you know?" Smith said. "And so this is just a great way for people to have fun."
Dancers of all levels came out to participate and welcomed everyone to the dance floor, creating a family-friendly environment that had multiple people smiling.
"I'm Cuban, so I enjoy dancing. So I saw that it was here at the waterfront. So I decided to come and bring my girls to try to learn to dance our cultural music," Katalina DeLuna said.
Event organizers say they've seen the events grow throughout the years. They plan on hosting events through November before taking a break for the holidays.
Most events are held at Old Sac or at District 56 in Elk Grove.
You can click here for a full list of their upcoming events.
This story is one of several that will be highlighted in part of our Hispanic Heritage Month special titled "Celebrando Nuestras Raíces." It will air Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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